Together
by georgley
Summary: My thoughts on Seth and Ryan going back to Newport after the season finale.


Don't own The OC or anything associated with it or any of the songs used below. Damn it!!

* * *

_And I wish I, wish I knew the right words,_

_To make you feel better and walk out of this place._

_The Whitlams- "Blow up the pokies"_

Ryan had never seen Sandy look so defeated. Sandy was supposed to be the strong one, the one who could make anything better with a pat on the back and a smile and a joke. But Ryan thought that leaving Seth behind might be the one thing that even Sandy couldn't make better.

Ryan had wanted to hit Seth when he said he wouldn't come back to Newport. But he couldn't, because it was Seth, so he just clenched his fists and his jaw and let Sandy talk. And when Sandy stopped talking Ryan wanted to scream and hit Sandy too, but he couldn't because it was Sandy, so he just clenched his fists a little bit harder. And when they left for the airport without Seth, Ryan didn't know what to do.

* * *

_Control, well it's slipping right through my hand,_

_These days turned out nothing like I had planned._

_Powderfinger- "These days"_

Teresa's car wasn't in the drive when Sandy dropped Ryan off in Chino. But Ryan didn't notice that until after he'd waved Sandy off and watched the shiny black BMW, so out of place, turn around the corner. It took every ounce of strength he had not to run after the car and beg Sandy to take him back to Newport.

Ryan was almost glad he wouldn't be home at the Cohen's when Sandy told Kirsten that Seth still wouldn't come home. Almost. 'Cause truth be told, even if he did have to sit through a screaming match, it'd be worth it a million times over, to be home.

The noise was the first thing that Ryan realised was wrong when he walked in the front door. The television was blaring with some redundant Simpson's repeat and the house was supposed to be silent. Then the half empty mug of coffee on the kitchen table caught his eye and his stomach did a little flip. It was all wrong. He didn't even need to read the note on the kitchen table to know that something was wrong with Teresa and the baby, he could feel it.

* * *

_Help me now, or hold me down,_

_I feel the world is tumbling_

_Spiralling down._

_Turin Brakes- "Rain City"_

He sat by her bed all night, holding her hand while she cried and slept and asked why her baby had to die. He whispered meaningless platitudes and stroked her hair and asked if she needed anything.

A week later, he stood in the doorway of her bedroom and watched her pack. She said she had to leave to find herself a new home. She said that he needed to go back to his. But he couldn't. He hadn't told the Cohen's about the baby. He couldn't and he couldn't go back there, not like this, he didn't know how to.

He stood on the porch and waved goodbye to her and it took every ounce of his strength not to chase after the car and beg her not to go, not to leave him like everyone else did. But he didn't, because he knew that sometimes you have to let people go. And sometimes people have to let you go.

* * *

_This running ain't no path to freedom._

_David Gray- "Freedom"_

Ryan had been alone in Chino for three days when Seth showed up on his doorstep. Ryan didn't move, he couldn't. But Seth stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him. It was then the Ryan noticed the duffel bag that had been dumped haphazardly in the top step of the porch. Seth was back. Ryan awkwardly thumped Seth on the back and they stepped apart. Ryan remembered that he was supposed to be mad at Seth, but he wasn't. Cause it was Seth. And he'd come back.

"Dude, you need to go see your parents." Ryan blurted out to break the awkward silence.

"Not without you. Teresa rang me. I'm not going back without you, Ryan. That was the whole point of my extended little temper tantrum. Don't you get it? I'm not going back there without you. Cause we're brothers, Ryan. And Mom and Dad are, like, your parents too and they need us both and I need you and you need them and we all just need each other. So you have to come back." Seth temporarily ran out of words and looked at Ryan expectantly.

"I can't. I chose to leave." Ryan looked at Seth but couldn't maintain eye contact.

"Yeah, well so did I and now I choose to go back. You can too. Please." Seth leaned forward slightly and upped the pleading tone in his voice. "We can go back together. Have a little Seth/Ryan time before the parents ground us till we're thirty."

Ryan looked sideways and Seth recognised the move as a crack in Ryan's normally smooth exterior. He was wearing the tough guy down, he could almost smell victory.

"I'll help you pack." Seth could bring out the big guns if he had to, to seal the deal.

"Seth..." Ryan began, but his resolve was wavering.

"Ryan, you can't stay here on your own and even if you could you shouldn't have to. Besides if you don't come then I'll go to Newport on my own and tell Mom and Dad about Teresa and the baby and then they're gonna come have to down here and..."

"Okay." Ryan said it so softly that Seth thought he might have imagined it.

"What?"

"I said okay. I'll go back. "

"Excellent, cause I forget to mention that I don't have enough money for a cab fair home, so you're gonna have to cover that one for me. But we're brothers right, so that shouldn't be a problem." Seth laughed and ducked his head when Ryan reached up to smack the back of it.

* * *

_Gotta find a road to bring me home soon_

_Gotta find a way back home_

_Mojave 3- "Bluebird of Happiness"_

They paused at the top of the driveway together, duffel bags in hand.

"So we're agreed, that after they smother us with hugs and kisses, they're gonna kill us?" Seth asked Ryan with only a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"Pretty much." Ryan grimaced. But he didn't really care, because they were home. And they looked at each other and headed for the front door.


End file.
